Residential waste service providers typically dispatch service vehicles to customer properties according to a predetermined pickup route assigned to each service vehicle. The pickup route for each service vehicle is often designed to provide waste services (e.g., to empty waste receptacles) within a particular geographical area (e.g., a subdivision) and at a particular frequency (e.g., once per week). For example, a particular service vehicle may be tasked to service several hundred waste receptacles at closely-spaced residences within a particular subdivision on a Tuesday of every week. After completion of the waste services within that subdivision, the service vehicle operator may report the completion to a back office, which updates the operator's route and an account record for each customer. Customers in the subdivision that subscribe to these waste services are then billed based on the account record.
In some instances, service of a particular receptacle at a particular residence may not be completed. For example, it may be possible for the service vehicle to arrive at a residence where no receptacle was placed out for service. In another example, it may be possible that the receptacle was placed out, but damaged, spilled, filled with restricted materials, or otherwise rendered unserviceable. In yet another example, it may be possible for the service vehicle operator to inadvertently pass by a residence without performing service, even if the receptacle was properly placed out and serviceable. In these situations, a clear record of services being performed or not being performed may be helpful for customer relations.
Historically, confirmation of service being performed at a particular residence was attained manually. In particular, the operator of the service vehicle would manually check off a paper list each time the service was performed, and/or provide reasons for any service that was not performed. While this approach may have been successful in some instances, it was also problematic. In particular, the manual confirmation was tedious and drew the operator's time and attention away from the actual service being performed and/or operation of the service vehicle. In addition, the manual confirmation provided hundreds of opportunities for error during each work shift.
The disclosed system and method are directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.